“I just think five is still too many.”
Jiang Xiao said directly.
It wasn’t a matter of whether he could afford to raise them—the key issue was their careers, and with Xi’er’s condition, she wasn’t exactly robust.
“Are you looking down on me!”
Song Qiuyu was always good at reading people. She quickly understood Jiang Xiao’s meaning, and that made her even more displeased.
“I’m not looking down on you. It’s mainly that, look, we’re both aiming to become directors. We’ve been busy shooting recently, and it’ll probably be like this for the next few years.”
The force tugging his ear increased, but Jiang Xiao felt no annoyance at all. In fact, he found it quite amusing to see a man of this temperament acting like a tigress.
“Our career growth period is very long. Where are we going to find that much time for pregnancy and having children?”
Hearing this, Song Qiuyu frowned even tighter but said nothing.
“Xi’er, of course I want our child too. Honestly, I’d love to enjoy the feeling of being surrounded by five or six kids!”
Jiang Xiao grabbed her little hand that was still pulling his ear. “But I don’t want to delay you from chasing your dreams just for the sake of having children. Becoming a girl, becoming my wife, becoming the mother of our children—all of that shouldn’t be an obstacle to your dreams!”
Hearing this, Song Qiuyu pouted, sulked for a little while, then let go of Jiang Xiao’s ear. She tilted her head and gently rubbed the spot she had been tugging with her fingertips.
“Did I hurt you?”
“Yes!”
Jiang Xiao was honest.
“Oh, I see.” Song Qiuyu nodded lightly. She glanced at Jiang Xiao’s hand still holding hers, then looked away but pressed his hand against her chest.
“Then let’s try tonight.”
“?”
Jiang Xiao froze. Thinking along the lines that she was being stubborn again, he seemed to vaguely understand what was on her mind.
“Don’t be so tense. I’m not as delicate as those young girls. Even if I’m pregnant, it won’t affect my career in the slightest!”
Sure enough, Song Qiuyu followed up immediately.
“Xi’er, I know there are plenty of actresses who keep filming while pregnant, and plenty of female directors who go to set while pregnant, but…”
Jiang Xiao tried to dissuade her again.
…
Then Song Qiuyu puffed out her rather ample chest and lifted her chin slightly. “If they can do it, then so can I!”
Seeing this, Jiang Xiao shut his mouth and said no more. He should have known—saying anything more at this point would only provoke her and make her more determined.
“I’m your wife. I won’t fall short of anyone. Five measly kids!”
Song Qiuyu’s gaze grew even more serious.
“Mm, I know.”
The corners of Jiang Xiao’s mouth curled up slightly. Since he couldn’t talk her out of it, he chose to respect and support her.
She wanted children, so he would give them to her—but he hoped she hadn’t forgotten that one thing: all gender-transition patients, once pregnant, would have pain at the center of their chest!
That issue was pretty serious. Hopefully, she had really considered it.
“Since we’ve said all that, how about we go take a bath?”
With that, Jiang Xiao let go of her small hand, undid the top button of the girl’s traditional Chinese wedding dress, and then quickly undid the second button.
“Mm, whatever my husband says…”
Song Qiuyu blushed and nodded.
Before she could finish speaking, her feet suddenly left the ground as Jiang Xiao lifted her horizontally into his arms!
“Ah!” she gasped, quickly wrapping her slender arms around his neck.
“Let’s go.”
After he spoke, Jiang Xiao kissed her lips, silencing anything she might say. While kissing, he carried her into the bathroom.
That night was extremely long for both of them.
When Jiang Xiao peeled off the outer layers of her Chinese-style wedding dress, what he saw underneath was a thin, fiery red bellyband.
It was neither too big nor too small—just barely covering the girl’s most shameful area, leaving even her tiny navel exposed.
Four thin red strings adorned the bellyband: two tied around the girl’s snowy neck, and the other two passing low under her armpits, pressing into her skin, forming a beautiful knot on her smooth back.
Half-hidden like that, one glance was all it took for Jiang Xiao to lose control.
He felt like he was turning into a starving beast, wanting to devour the wife before him then and there.
The ancients’ sense of aesthetics…
The bellyband was simply perfect.
“Satisfied? This is a surprise!”
Song Qiuyu lowered her eyes, her gaze dropping to the bathtub filling beside her, her voice soft and sweet.
Jiang Xiao smiled in silence.
“But there’s an even bigger surprise underneath this bellyband!”
Song Qiuyu continued, adding an air of mystery.
Hearing this, Jiang Xiao squinted and looked closely at her bellyband.
The piece of fabric barely covering her chest rose and fell more and more violently with each of his wife’s breaths.
He could vaguely make out the impression of something black and lacy beneath.
Seeing this, Jiang Xiao smiled knowingly. “Then let me see what surprise my wife has prepared for me!”
The bathtub soon filled.
The two figures reflected on the wall then shifted into the tub.
Water, more and more, spilled over the edges.
The entire bathroom was a mess.
…
…
At the same time, in a room not far away, the drunk Sang Tian was being escorted by Jiang Yu into the room.
“Sang Tian Jie, careful!”
Seeing Sang Tian’s wobbling head about to hit the door frame, Jiang Yu frowned. The hand supporting her shoulder changed to an arm hook, and he pulled her entire body closer to him with some force.
Only when he was sure she was safe did he let out a sigh of relief.
“Burp… Thanks, Xiao Yu…”
Sang Tian drunkenly lowered her head and hiccupped.
Though heavily drunk, she could still vaguely grasp the situation. Hearing Jiang Yu’s voice, she spoke.
Seeing her this drunk, Jiang Yu’s expression softened, and he sighed inwardly.
Not long ago, the guests had been toasting his older brother and sister-in-law. The groomsmen group was responsible for blocking drinks for the groom, and the bridesmaids group for the bride.
But whether groomsmen or bridesmaids, there were plenty of them. They could have let those with the best alcohol tolerance handle most of the drinking. Yet Sang Tian Jie, who clearly had low tolerance, kept blocking drinks for the bride.
And ended up getting herself this drunk.
He carefully held her shoulder, closed the room door, and walked in. “Sang Tian Jie, it was my duty.”
Then, he slowly helped her to the bed, intending to lay her down.
“Xiao Yu… today, I’m so happy…”
Sang Tian kept her head low, swaying from the alcohol.
“Yeah, I’m really happy too! My brother and Qiuyu Jie finally got together.”
Jiang Yu nodded eagerly.
As he spoke, he looked at the drunken state of the older sister. Sang Tian Jie was always so gentle and reliable on normal days—it was rare to see her in a need of care like this.
He couldn’t help but want to treasure this moment.
“Then… what about you, Xiao Yu?”
Sang Tian suddenly lifted her head drunkenly and said.
“Huh?”
Jiang Yu was stunned.
“Xiao Yu… have you found your own…?”
Her face was flushed with the red of intoxication, her eyes seeming ready to overflow as she looked at him. Her voice held her usual gentleness, but every syllable was a bit unsteady.
“…”
Jiang Yu stared blankly at Sang Tian. Some thoughts stirred in his heart, but he suppressed their wild growth, pretending not to understand. “My own? My own what? Sang Tian Jie, you’re too drunk. If there’s something to say, better leave it for tomorrow.”
Sang Tian looked at him drunkenly, saying nothing.
After some effort, he finally got Sang Tian to lie down on the bed. He glanced at the white leather shoes still on her feet. “Sang Tian Jie, let me take off your shoes first.”
The drunk Sang Tian might not have heard clearly, but she responded with a vague “Mm.”
Getting permission, Jiang Yu didn’t waste time. He immediately crouched down and carefully removed the white leather shoes from her feet.
When the shoes came off, his hand, which had intended to also take off her black socks, paused.
Huh?
These socks didn’t seem ordinary?
Jiang Yu swallowed hard and tried pushing up the hem of Sang Tian’s pants. Black stockings traced the shape of the girl’s ankles and calves, beautiful like a piece of art.
Sure enough, no matter how high he pushed, there was no end in sight. This wasn’t socks at all—it was clearly black stockings!
Probably the kind that went all the way up to the waist.
Seeing this, he sighed helplessly, abandoned the idea of removing her stockings, and slowly moved her legs onto the bed.
Then he pulled over the blanket stacked to the side and gently covered her with it.
What surprised him next was that Sang Tian, lying on the bed, seemed to mutter something unintelligible.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t make it out clearly.
Jiang Yu checked the time. It was almost eleven. He thought about leaving.
Just then, Sang Tian spoke again: “Xiao Yu…”
Hearing her call him, he thought she might have something important to tell him, so he leaned in closer, putting his ear to her lips.
“When are you… going to grow up… Though, being a kid… is cute too.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yu froze completely. The three key words in her words—“grow up,” “kid,” “cute”—stabbed into his heart like three needles.
He turned his head to look at the older sister who seemed about to fall asleep, his gaze darkening.
Sang Tian Jie probably didn’t know—in her eyes, he was still a kid, but he had grown up a long time ago.
And he had been coveting her for over three years.
Without lingering in the room, Jiang Yu finally said goodnight to her and quietly slipped out.
Leaving Sang Tian alone on the bed, sinking into the depths of sleep.
For the next month, no one spent the remaining days of the short-term holiday having fun. Song Qiuyu and Jiang Xiao didn’t even have a pleasant honeymoon trip. As soon as the time came, they were all forced back to school, continuing to hustle for their studies.
Soon, Song Qiuyu, Jiang Xiao, Xie Zhuran, and Lin An all received good news: the martial arts film they had auditioned for—they had all passed.
Thus, in addition to the courses for their second semester of grad school, they had to find time to join the film crew.
Song Qiuyu thought their semester would be full enough with just that.
Until that night, when she woke up to a milky orange scent.
“Mmm… smells so good…”
Half-asleep, Song Qiuyu licked the corner of her mouth. Her little nose sniffed, following the scent to its source. Her little hands fumbled restlessly.
Mmm…
Had someone accidentally knocked over orange-flavored milk?
But the people living in this room were just her and Jiang Xiao, and neither of them had bought that kind of milk.
Mmm, it seemed to be coming from here…
No, that couldn’t be right. This place is…
Song Qiuyu’s eyes flew open. What she saw was the ceiling of her own room.
Usually, she slept with Jiang Xiao, but today he had taken a few too many glances at a girl on the street whose underwear and bra were worn on the outside. So she had punished him by not letting him sleep in the bed—more accurately, separate beds.
So now, she was alone in this room.
She took a few breaths. The scent of orange milk filled her mouth and nose. Her delicate brows slowly knit together. Following the scent again, she looked down.
The little yellow duck pajama top had been pushed up high from below, covered in wrinkles…
She admitted she might have eaten too many oranges this Lunar New Year and also eaten a lot of orange-flavored candy from Jiang Xiao. But enough for this?
Had aliens come and taken her away for some modification?
Once she realized the source of the scent, the orange milk fragrance suddenly became even stronger, overwhelming her until her head ached.
Song Qiuyu was dazed, as if she had lived in this world for over twenty years, and suddenly someone told her that deep down, the world actually truly had demons, ghosts and spirits, and cultivators. Her entire worldview came crashing down.
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